Knight of the Tamers
by The Halfa Wannabe
Summary: It's been seven years since the digimon returned to their own world. New enemies rise against the tamers, but the bond between one digimon and his partner goes deeper than anyone could have ever guessed. And such a bond always leaves it's mark.
1. Chapter 1

Don't own digimon or related characters.

It's been seven years since the digimon returned to their own world, New enemies rise against the tamers, but the bond between one digimon and his tamer goes deeper than anyone could have guessed, and such a bond always leaves it's mark...

The hand opened and shut in slumber. He slept on peacefully, unaware of the world as he turned over. His hand reached into the darkness and pulled his digivice to his chest. It settled clearly over his heart. Light erupted from the small screen. His outline blurred underneath his blanket. Small bits of static ran across his form obscuring his identity. He felt nothing as the near-nightly event ended. The screen continued to illuminate the room for several minutes before fading.

"Jeri! Henry! Wait up!" His quick movements quickly ate up the distance between them. He nearly collapsed from the force he'd exerted catching up to his friends.

"Running late again Takato?" Henry smiled.

Takato put his hand behind his head in embarrassment. "Heheh, My alarm didn't go off. What'd I miss?"

"Nothing much, Professor Hikari just outlined everything we need to know for the final."

Takato nearly fainted when he heard what Jeri said. That was when Henry held up a small tape recorder.

"Is that what I think it is Henry?" He hoped his friend had the foresight to record the lesson.

"Yep, you owe me one." He tossed the tape over to his friend. He didn't manage to duck the bone crushing hug.

"Excuse me, but I'm the only one who gets to hug him."

Takato got off his friend. "Sorry Jeri, but he just saved my backside again."

Takato shifted his shirt to the side as he went to put the tape in his pocket. What was revealed was something that Henry didn't want to see.

"Takato." The way he said it clearly outlined the irritation in his voice.

"Yeah Henry?"

"Why are you carrying your digivice? We talked about this. They're not coming back. Hypnos sealed the digital world away. You can't keep pretending there's a way to see Guilmon."

Takato's voice started to turn icy. "Who said I am? Guilmon was my friend, and this reminds me of him. I thought the rest of you would understand, but apparently you don't.

Jeri looked over at him. In the years since their adventures she'd lost quite a bit of the naivete she'd always shown. But her optimistic personality still remained intact. "We understand, we do. But it's over Takato. Remembering is all well and good, but you've got to move on. You can't keep doing this."

"I'm fine. Now you listen to me. Guilmon and the rest changed our lives forever. If it wasn't for them we'd be very different people. Don't forget that it's because of them you met your boyfriend here. We wouldn't have met Henry or Rika. Before this I barely spoke to you. We're friends because of the digimon, and I won't forget that."

Takato stared at them for a second. "Thanks for the tape. I'll see you later." He turned on his heel and walked away from two of the best friends he'd ever had.

Acting like they never existed. Makes me sick. They were our friends and they barely acknowledge they existed. They weren't just our friends they were a part of us.

He sat down on a small bench as he let his anger play itself out.

They saved us. We all put our lives on the line to save Earth from the D-reaper. But nobody ever talks about it. We just keep it inside, we ignore our past. They act like they want to forget.

"I don't want to forget!"

"What are you talking about goggle head?"

He turned his head in the direction of the voice. "Rika?"

She stepped towards him. It almost seemed as if she appeared from the shadows. A trait she'd most likely copied from Renamon. "Yeah. Now care to explain that little outburst?"

"Just venting. I had a little run in with Henry and Jeri."

"Let me guess. You got going on the subject of digimon again, and as usual, they said it was time to move on and now you're angry at them. Is that about right?"

Takato huddled there miserably. "Yeah. It's one thing if they want to forget about it, but they shouldn't try to make me do the same. It was too important for me to ever forget."

"I know what you mean."

Takato looked at her in surprise. "You do?"

"Well, yeah. Without Renamon I wouldn't have met any of you guys. I've made friends and I don't want to give that up. If I forget, I lose everything I've gained because of her. I lose everything that I've become since then."

Takato was simply amazed. He and Rika had actually had a serious conversation. That in itself was enough reason to stay, but he felt the familiar prick that always accompanied the thought of her. "Thanks Rika. I'll see you later, I've got a class."

For many students the first year of college can be stressful and nerve racking. But it can also make for great excuses to leave.

Rika stared after the disappearing figure. Lately Takato had been running off to class whenever they started talking. "Since when did he become a bookworm?" Rika got up and walked in the other direction. 


	2. Chapter 2

The shadowy figure stood on top of the building. The eyes watched the greatest danger to its plans. 

The tamers.

They'd stopped the D-reaper. They'd continued to fight even when it seemed hopeless. It was happy when it saw that most of them had lost the feelings that had bonded them to their digimon.

He'll be a problem. He's still connected. He might be able to call one back.

He couldn't help thinking about how the strongest had yet to let go of the past. _I must destroy him before I can begin my plans._

He smiled.

Two chairs sat unoccupied in the chamber. It had once been for the tracking of wild ones. Uncontrolled digimon that had emerged into the real world. Yamaki walked out of the room as the door closed behind him.

_Rika is going to kill me. She's going to find out I lied and then I'm going to die._

His skilled hands kneaded the dough beneath them. Clumps of dough started flying through the air, they were caught by his father.

Both headed for the sink as the bread started to bake. The sink sent small amounts of flour down the drain as they washed.

The older man stared thoughtfully at the sink. "Takato."

"Yeah Dad?"

He took a breath to steady himself. "Have you thought about your future? After college I mean. You really need to think about it. You haven't even picked a major yet."

Takato turned to look at his father. "I've been thinking. Maybe I'll try and become a game designer. You know, create a game and let other people bring it to life."

"Sounds good. But, Your mom and I are kind of worried. You're almost nineteen and you don't go out. You never do anything. It's not healthy."

"Hey, I hang out with my friends plenty. I just have to do it during school." He started to walk away.

"Takato. I'm talking about dating."

He halted in his tracks. "What?"

"You're not a bad looking kid. So why aren't you seeing anyone?"

Takato turned to face his father. "I guess I just haven't found anyone I'm interested in."

He stepped over to his son and stood face to face with him. "Really? What about Rika?"

Takato backed away. "What about Rika?" He felt his cheeks flood with heat as he said this. His father pulled away and looked smugly at him.

"If you like her so much why haven't you asked her out?"

"Me? Like Rika? It's nothing like that. She's just a friend."

The feminine voice behind him startled him into turning around. "Then why are you blushing?"

"Ahh! Mom. Don't do that."

"Well. Are you going to answer me?" His mother crossed her arms across her chest.

"Maybe because I don't like being grilled about something that's none of your business."

"So you admit that you like her."

"Dad! Stop it. Rika's one of my best friends. That's all."

_Even if she is the most beautiful girl I know._ His cheeks reddened in response to this thought.

Takato stripped off the apron he was wearing and grabbed a red jacket from a coat rack near the door. He made his way into the cool night air as he pulled on his jacket. He didn't notice that the street seemed to be emptier than usual. Shadows spread across the street in patterns that could make soldiers quake in fear. He noticed nothing as he made his way down the sidewalk into the deepening twilight. His mind remained on the girl who had invaded his mind a bit more with each rising of the sun. He was too occupied with these thoughts as his luck changed and he ran into the subject of his thoughts.

"Rika! Hi. What are you doing out here, in the dark, at almost eleven at night?" Had they met under one of the street lights that lined the road, the red color his face had become might have aroused Rika's suspicions. But for once luck was on his side as she answered.

"Walking. What's it to you goggle-head?"

"Just asking. And would you stop calling me that? I haven't worn those in years."

"Just because you don't wear them doesn't make you any less of a goggle-head. I can't believe you used to think that looked cool."

"Give me a break, I was twelve! So what if I was a fashion disaster? Tai and Davis wore them."

"They were cartoon characters. It didn't matter."

"So what? Lots of kids thought they looked cool at the time. And most of them didn't have digimon." A haunted look dulled his eyes as he said this. Few realized just how hard it had been for him to lose Guilmon. They'd been through so much together that their separation had caused him an almost physical pain. I_ miss him so much. Will I ever see him again? I wonder if he's okay. Are they still together, or have they gone different ways?_

" you listening to me? Takato. Takato!"

"Huh? What did you say?" He silently cursed himself for having let his thoughts wander.

"What's wrong with you? You looked like you were miles away."

Takato collapsed on a bench that was sitting close by. "I was just wondering if Guilmon and the others are okay. If they're still traveling together or if they've settled down. I wish I knew."

"You're not the only one." Rika sat down next to him. "I wonder if Renamon is happy. She was always so closed off. She was my friend but she never really let me in. I hope she's happy. She deserves to be."

"We all do. We've dealt with more than anyone should have to deal with. We saved the world and here we are sitting around on a bench in the middle of the night. How messed up is that?"

"Pretty pathetic. We've done more for the world than anyone else and now we're just, normal. It's like everybody's just forgetting, that they don't remember anything about what happened. It's not right."

"Maybe it's better that way. Maybe we're just not ready. We were almost destroyed by the D-reaper and what happens. The wars, gangs, and everything just keep on coming. Nothing seems to be able to snap the cycle of violence we've trapped ourselves in. Maybe it would have been better if we lost."

His head was rocked by the hand that slammed into his face.

"Don't say that! Nothing can get better if we give up. You think Guilmon would want you to give up? Things get better. It doesn't happen overnight, but it will happen."

"Heheh, thanks Rika. I guess I got a few issues to work through." Takato felt blessed that Rika couldn't see that after her hand print had faded his face was still red.

The two sat by each other for several minutes with the stifling silence surrounding them. It was broken by the young man. "I had a dream about you."

Rika jolted when he said that. "I really don't want to hear this."

"Not like that. It's was so long ago. It was before we met, before I'd even seen you. I can't remember much but you seemed to be in trouble. I still don't understand why I had it, but I did. I saw you."

"Tell me you're kidding."

"I'm not. It was like the day before I met you. I can't stress how weird it was when I ran into you." Takato leaned back on the bench before starting to get up. "Hey Rika, I have to get going, but, would you like to go see a movie on Saturday?"

Rika blinked in surprise. _Did he just ask me out? He did. The goggle-head just asked me out on a date._ She felt her cheeks flush. "Uh, okay. I guess it could be fun."

"Ye-yeah, i-it's a date. No! I mean it's not a date, it's a, uh..."

"Takato, It's a date, and I said yes, so shut up while you're still ahead. See you on Saturday." She got up and started to walk into the darkness. Rika was rather surprised to find herself looking forward to going out with Takato.


End file.
